Court documents: Belmont, Newton men suspected in Waltham shooting have history with drugs

Friday

Mar 28, 2014 at 9:00 AMMar 28, 2014 at 5:31 PM

Court documents reveal the two men suspected in last week's fatal shooting of a Waltham High senior have a history with drugs, and one of the suspects has been charged with gun offenses, but to date, they have avoided significant jail time.

By Eli Sherman and Danielle McLeanwaltham@wickedlocal.com

Court documents reveal the two men suspected in last week’s fatal shooting of a Waltham High senior have a history with drugs, and one of the suspects has been charged with gun offenses, but to date, they have avoided significant jail time.

A warrant was issued earlier this week for the arrest of Domingo Mendes, 22, of Belmont and Taylor Poulin, 21, of Newton, in connection with the death of Tyler Zanco, 17, of Waltham, who was shot and killed last Thursday.

According to a police affidavit, Zanco wanted to set up a fake drug deal with Poulin, also known as “Tru,” in retaliation for him ripping off Zanco’s younger cousin of two ounces of marijuana. Zanco wanted to “rip off and beat up Tru for this incident with his cousin,” the affidavit said.

Poulin was arrested in Windham, Maine, on Wednesday night. Mendes remains at large. According to police, Mendes is wanted for murder.

Mendes has been in trouble with the law before, according to court documents. Last July, Mendes was arrested after a traffic stop in Burlington. He was charged with unlicensed possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number and unlawful possession of ammunition.

The case was ultimately dismissed.

A State Police trooper had stopped Mendes, who was with Torrie Tatum, of Boston. The trooper said in Woburn District Court that when he approached the car he saw a black, adult-sized opera mask in the car, which Tatum later told him was a Halloween gift for his daughter, despite it being July.

The trooper said Tatum and Mendes’ actions made him suspect they were hiding something and Tatum looked nervous, “sweaty and his carotid artery was pulsating,” according to court documents. The trooper decided to take Tatum out of the car and search him. While searching Tatum, the trooper found a loaded .45 caliber pistol. Mendes told police the next day that he owned the gun.

But a judge ruled the search was illegal because the trooper lacked cause to search Tatum.

According to court documents, the trooper felt “something more was going on so he wished to take a closer look, [which] leads this court to conclude he was acting on a hunch.”

Drugs

Both Mendes and Poulin have been arrested with drugs, according to the Board of Probation.

Poulin, who was tazed during last week’s alleged drug rip-off, which ended in Zanco’s death, has an open charge against him for selling marijuana and breaking and entering, according to a court affidavit.

Poulin was also arrested on Oct. 21, 2013, in Waltham after a state trooper found $487 in cash and a bag of marijuana in his car. He was charged with operating under the influence, having no inspection sticker and a lights violation, according to court documents. He was sentenced to a fine and probation.

Last July, Mendes was arrested in Waltham after having an argument with his roommate, police said.

Mendes liked to throw parties, according to his landlord, but didn’t like to clean up after himself, court documents said. When the roommate tried to talk to Mendes about his messiness, Mendes put his head against the roommate’s chest and asked him, "What’re you gonna do about it?"

Mendes then grabbed a beer bottle threateningly and walked around the apartment before the landlord showed up and tried to break up the argument. Mendes, according to court documents, left the apartment saying he’d come back with his “Fam.”

Police caught Mendes that night after stopping him in a Honda Civic near Bentley. He was charged with assault and battery.

Police also found marijuana in the car, according to court documents, but the case was eventually continued without a finding until Aug. 20, 2014, on the condition he not abuse the victim.

Police are asking the public for its help in finding Mendes, who is considered armed and dangerous.

Mendes is wanted on charges of murder, possession of a firearm and conspiracy to violate drug laws. He is described as a black man, 5 feet 10 inches in height and about 165 pounds, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone who sees or encounters Mendes is advised to call 911 immediately.

Anyone with any information is urged to call Waltham Police at 781-314-3607 or Massachusetts State Police Detectives at 781-897-6600.